Photo of Soviet Missile Base in Cuba in 1962

[Douglas Caddy]

spy photo of a Soviet medium range ballistic missile base in San Cristobal, Cuba, with labels detailing various parts of the base, made October 23, 1962.

The confrontation during Cuban crisis, October 16–28, 1962, when Soviet ballistic missile were deployed in Cuba, is often considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war.

One of result of the Cuban crisis was establishment of the Moscow–Washington hotline, in popular culture known as the "red telephone", a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of the United States and the Russian Federation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sean Coleman]

Sure it’s not Ukraine?

[Benjamin Cole]

Haldeman has a great story in his book about Nixon barely getting into the White House when Kissinger stormed in, saying nuke confrontation-war was possible over fresh Russian installations in Cuba. 

US photo-recon had taken pictures of new soccer fields next to soldier barracks in Cuba. Russians play soccer, and Cuban play baseball. 

Haldeman's (original) book is worth reading, including segments on Nixon wanting "Bay of Pigs" files from the CIA. That he never got.